Reversing mechanism.



PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907. s. T. NELSON. REVERSING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB. 15,1906.

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nNrTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SVEN T. NELSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SULLIVAN MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION.

REVERSING MECHANISM.

Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

Annlication filed March 15. 1906. Serial No. 306,116-

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, SVEN T. NELSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversing Mechanism for Engines, of which the following is declared to be a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to reversing mechanism for steam engines and the like, and in particular to reversible valve-operating mechanism or gear for large hoisting engines.

In large hoisting engines it is customary to employ a small auxiliary reciprocating reversing engine that necessitates much heavy, expensive gearing between the auxiliary reversing engine and the valve mechanism of the hoisting engine.

The present improvement seeks to pro vide an improved form of reversing engine that may be mounted directly on the valveoperating shaft, thus avoiding the necessity of intermediate connecting gearing.

A further object is to provide suitable means for controlling the operation of a reversible engine that is thus mounted directly on the valve-operating shaft.

I/Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hoisting engine to which the present invention is applied, the engine crank being shown in section and the drum in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the auxiliary reversing engine. Fig. 3 is an end view thereof with one head or cap plate removed. Fig. 4 is a detail section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are opposite face views of the auxiliary revers mg engine, parts being shown in section on the lines 5-5 and 6 6 respectively of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a detail section on the lines 77 of Fig. 5.

The present improvement is designed for large engines that must be reversed in operation. plied to a hoisting engine. In Fig. 1 the hoisting drum 10 (shown in dotted lines) is mounted on the main engine shaft 11. Usually two hoisting engines are employed, one coupled to each end of the drum shaft, and

In the drawings it is shown as -ap each end of the shaft is journaled in a suitable bearing 12 at the end of the engine frame 13. A crank 14 on the end of the shaft 11 is coupled by the connecting rod 15 to the cross head 16 and piston-rod 17 that extends within the cylinder 18 and is provided with the usual piston (not shown).

The engine may be provided with any suitable form of valve gear. That shown is the well known Corliss valve mechanism comprising two inlet and two exhaust valves mounted upon shafts 19 at the ends of the cylinder and connected by arms 20 and links 21 to a wrist-plate 23 carried upon a stud shaft 24 at the side of the cylinder. The wristplate may be connected in any suitable manner to the engine shaft. In the form shown, arod 25 connects the wrist-plate to the rocker arm 26 mounted on a bracket 27 that is fixed to the engine frame. The valve-operating rod 28 connects the rocker arm 26 with a crank 29 on the end of the valve-o erating shaft 30, that in turn, is connectecf to and driven from the engine shaft 1 1.

As hereinafter described, the valve-operating rod 28 may be connected, if desired, directly to the engine shaft, in which case the reversing engine would be mounted'upon the engine shaft. In the preesnt form, in which a separate valve-operating shaft 30 is employed, a reversing engine is mounted thereon and comprises a rotary member 30 loosely mounted on the shaft and having a segmental fluid pressure chamber therein and a wing piston within the chamber fixed to the shaft.

In the form shown, the rotary member 30 comprises a head section 31 having a laterally projecting circular flanged portion 32 at its outer periphery, a cap-plate or head 33 that is bolted at its periphery to the flange 32 of the head 31, and an intermediate segmental part 34. The segmental part 34 is provided with radial abutment-s 35 that fit snugly between the heads 31 and 33 and form the ends of a segmental fluid pressure chamber 36. A series of bolts 37 extend through the heads 31 and 33 and through the radial abutments 35 to rigidly connect the parts. A wing piston 38 within the segmental fluid pressure chamber 36 is provided with a hub portion 39 that fits upon and is secured or keyed to the shaft 30. The edges of the piston fit snugly between the heads 31 and 33 and its radial portion 38 engine shaft or to the drum thereon.

is provided with longitudinally extending packing strips 40, (see Fig. 7) while the hub portion 39 is provided with cylindrical packing strips 41, these packing strips snugly engaging the inner opposing faces of the heads 31 and 33 to prevent leakage around the piston. The end of the wing piston, of course, abuts snugly against the cylindrical flange 32 of the head section 31.

A gear ring 42 bolted to the head 31 meshes with an idler 43 (see Fig. 1) on a stud 44. that is carried by the engine frame. Idler 43 meshes with the gear 45 that is fixed to the 42 and 45 are of the same size so that the valve-operating shaft 30 will be driven at the same speed as the engine shaft.

The abutments 35 at the ends of the segmental fluid pressure chamber 36 are provided near their outer ends with stop screws 46 adjustably threaded therethrough and held in place by lock nuts 47. These screws abut slightly beyond the inner faces of the abutments 35 and arrest the wing piston 38 in one of the other of its extreme positions.

When the wing piston is at one end of its relative movement within the segmental chamber 36, the valve operating shaft 30 and its crank 29 will be in proper position to drive the engine shaft 11 and rotary member 30 in the-direction indicated by. the arrows in Figs. 1 and 3. Although the rotary member 30 is loose on the valve shaft 30, the latter will, of course, be driven in the same direction by the engagement of one of the abutments 35 and its stop screw 46 with the wing piston 38 that is fixed to the shaft. By swinging the piston within the fluid pressure chamber 36 to the opposite end thereof, the valve-operating mechanism will be in position to reverse the engine.

The shift of the piston 36 is effected. by admitting fluid under pressure through radial passages 48 formed in ribs 49 on the outer face of the head 31. These passages communicate at their outer ends through main and supplemental ports 50 and 51 with the opposite ends of the fluid pressure chamber 36. The supplemental. ports (see Fig. 7) are located closely adjacent the abutments 35, while the main ports 50 are spaced some what apart therefrom so that they are overrun by the piston 38. Suitable valves 53 are adjustably threaded through the head 31 and serve to throttle the flow through the supplemental ports 51. Lock nuts 54 hold the valves 53 in adjusted position.

At their inner ends the passages 48 of the head 31 communicate with two passages 55 extending longitudinally through a sleeve 56 that encircles the shaft and is rigidly bolted at one end to the head 31. Sleeve 56 extends through two bearings 57 upon the upper end of a suitable standard or casting 58. Each bearing is provided with an Gears annular passage or groove 59, one of which communicates with each of the longitudinally extending passages 55 of the sleeve 56. The annular grooves 59 are placed in communication by passages 60 with chests 61 on the outer face of the casting or standard 58. The chests 61 are connected together by a pipe 62 and a slide valve 63 (see Fig. 4) in one of the chests is arranged to control the flow of fluid under pressure through the passages 48, 55, 59, and 60 so that either end of the chamber 36 within the rotary member 3O may be connected to a source of supply while the opposite end. is connected to the exhaust. Valve 62 is connected to a short rock shaft 63 journaled on the face of the standard 58 which, in turn, may be connected to a suitable hand lever on the engineers platform or at any suitable point.

The passages 55 in the sleeve 56 are, of course, always in communication with the annular passages 59 of the bearings 57 in spite of the rotary movement of the sleeve, so that the engineer, by operating the sleeve valve 62, may at any time shift the wing piston 38 to reverse the engine. By thus mounting an auxiliary reversing engine directly upon the valve-operating shaft, all connecting gearing between the auxiliary engine and the valve and the valve-operating mechanism is dispensed with, and a simple comparatively inexpensive reversing engine is provided that may be quickly and easily operated with the expenditure of little steam or other fluid under pressure. The auxiliary reversing mechanism may be operated either with steam or with air under pressure, as may be desired.

To prevent leakage, the head 33 of the rotary member 30*, and the end of the sleeve 56 are provided with suitable stuffing boxes 64 having glands 65 fitting over the valveoperating shaft 30. The bearings 57 are each provided at their ends with stuffing boxes 66 having glands 67 fitting about the sleeve 55.

It is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the details of structure without departure from the essentials'of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A reversible valve-operating gear for engines comprising a valve operating shaft, a rotary member loosely and concentrically mounted on said shaft and driven from the engine independently of said shaft and having .a segmental fluid pressure chamber therein, a wing piston fixed on said shaft and extending within said chamber and means for admitting fluid under pressure into said chamber on opposite sides of said piston.

2. The combination with an engine and its valve mechanism, of a reversible valve-opcrating gear comprising a shaft connected to and operating said valve mechanism, a rotary member loosely and concentrically mounted on said valve operating shaft and connected to and driven from the engine independently of said shaft, said rotary memher having a segmental fluid pressure chamber therein, a wing-piston fixed to said shaft and extending within said chamber and means for admitting liquid under pressure to said chamber on opposite sides of said piston.

3. A reversible valve-operating gear for engines comprising a valve operating shaft, a rotary member loosely and concentrically mounted on said shaft and driven from the engine independently of said shaft and having a segmental fluid pressure chamber therein, a wing piston fixed on said shaft and extending within said chamber, passages in said rotary chamber opening into the opposite ends of said chamber, a sleeve on said shaft fixed to said rotary member and having longitudinally extending passages communieating with the passages thereof, bearings through which said sleeve extends, annular passages communicating with the passages of said sleeve and valve mechanism controlling the flow of fluid under pressure through said passages to the opposite ends of the segmental chamber of said rotary member.

- 4. A reversible valve-operating gear for engines, the combination with a valve operating shaft and a valve rod driven from said shaft, of a rotary member loosely and concentrically mounted on said valve operating shaft and driven from the engine independently thereof and having a segmental fluid pressure chamber therein, a wing piston fixed to said shaft and extending within said chamber, a sleeve on said shaft connected to said rotary member, bearings through which said sleeve extends having annular passages therein, said sleeve and rotary member hav ing passages leading from the passages of said bearing to the opposite ends of said segmental chamber and valve mechanism controlling the flow of fluid under pressure through said passages and to and from the opposite ends of said segmental chamber.

5. In reversible valve-operating mechanism for engines comprising a valve operating shaft, a rotary member loosely and concentrically mounted on said shaft comprising heads and intermediate radial abutments forming a segmental fluid pressure chamber, a win piston fixed to said shaft and arranged within said chamber, means for admitting fluid under pressure into opposite ends of said chamber to effect the shift of said piston within the same and adjustable stops in threaded engagement with said abutments for limiting the movement of said piston.

6. In reversible valve-operating mechanism for engines, the combination with a valve operating shaft, engine valves and a valveoperating rod connected to and driven from said shaft, of a rotary member loosely and concentrically mounted on said shaft and driven from the engine independently of said shaft and comprising head sections and intermediate radial abutments forming a segmental fluid pressure chamber, a wing piston in said chamber fixed upon said shaft, passages extending through one of the head sections of said rotary member and opening into opposite ends of said segmental chamber, means for controlling the flow of liquid under pressure through said passages and adjustable stop screws threaded through said end abutments for limiting the shift of said piston, said rotary member being connected to and driven from the engine.

7. A reversible valve-operating gear for engines, the combination with an engine, engine shaft, valves and valve-operating rod, of a valve operating shaft connected to and operating said valve rod, a rotary member loosely and concentrically mounted on said shaft having a segmental fluid pressure chamber therein, driving mechanism connecting said rotary member to the engine shaft, a wing piston fixed on the valve-operating shaft within the segmental chamber, of a rotary member, said rotary member having passages opening into the opposite ends of said segmental chamber and means for controlling the flow of fluid under pressure through said passages.

8. A reversible valve-operating mechanism comprising a valve operating shaft, a rotary member loosely and concentrically mounted on said shaft and driven from the engine independently of said shaft and having a segmental fluid pressure chamber therein, a wing piston within said chamber and fixed to said valve operating shaft, said rotary member having passages with main and supplemental ports at the ends of said chamber, said supplemental ports being located nearer the ends of the chamber than said main ports, means for controlling the flow of fluid under pressure through said passages and means for throttling the flow of fluid through said supplemental ports.

9. In reversing valve-operating mechanism for engines, the combination with the engine and its valve-operating rod, of a valve operating shaft connecting to and operating said rod, a rotary member loosely and concentrically mounted on said valve operating shaft and connected to and driven from the engine in dependently of said valve operating shaft, said rotary member having a segmental fluid pressure chamber therein, a wing piston in said chamber fixed to said valve operating shaft, said rotary member having passages with main and supplemental ports opening adjacent the ends of said chamber, said supplemental ports being nearer the ends of said chamber than said main ports,

valve mechanism controlling the flow of fluid under pressure through said passages and adjustable devices for throttling the flow of fluid through the supplemental ports.

10. The combination with the engine shaft and the valve operating shaft, of a gear loosely and concentrically mounted on said valve operating shaft, drive mechanism interposed between said. gear and said engine shaft, said gear having a segmental fluid pressure chamber therein, a winged piston in said chamber and fixed tocsaid valve oper ating shaft and means for admitting fluid under pressure into said chamber on opposite sides of said piston.

11. The combination with the engine shaft and the valve operating shaft, of a gear loosely and concentrically mounted on said valve operating shaft, drive mechanism connecting said gear with the engine shaft, said gear having a segmental fluid chamber therein, a winged piston in said chamber and fixed on said valve operating shaft, a sleeve on said shaft fixed to said gear, said sleeve and rotary member having passages opening into said chamber on opposite sides of said piston, bearings through which said sleeve extends having annular passages communicating with the passages in said sleeve and valve mechanism controlling the flow of fluid under pressure through said passages and to and from the opposite ends of said chamber. 12. The combination with the engine l shaft, valve operating shaft and valve mechanism driven from the latter shaft, of a gear loosely and concentrically mounted on said valve operating shaft, said gear having a segmental fluid chamber therein, a winged piston fixed to said valve operating shaft and extending within said chamber, a sleeve loosely mounted on said valve operating shaft and fixed to said gear, said gear and sleeve having passages communicating with the said segmental chamber on opposite sides of said Winged piston, bearings through which said sleeve extends having an annular passage communicating with the passages of said sleeve, valve mechanism controlling the flow of fluid under pressure through said passages and to and from the opposite ends of said segmental chamber, a gear fixed to the engine shaft and an idler gear meshing therewith and with the gear 011 the valve shaft. SVEN T. NELSON.

Witnesses LILLIAN PRENTIGE, KATHARINE GERLACH. 

